Writing as Therapy by Stephen Burckhardt
When discussing the idea of journaling, many individuals will automatically envision a young girl lying on her stomach on her bed, kicking her feet up behind her, as she writes in a pink diary with a fuzzy tipped pen about some secret crush whose name she surrounds with little hearts. Or, if you are of Mean Girls generation, the image brought to mind might be less innocent and a bit more spiteful. (Mean Girls, Paramount Pictures 2004) While these Hollywood driven images might hold some truth, in a few cases, journaling has become a popular activity that spans across generations and genders. While basic journaling can have psychological, and to some extent, physiological benefits, it is very different from the type of directed writing used for therapy. Writing in a diary or basic journaling tends to be more free form. An individual will record their thoughts or feelings or just document recent events. They can journal as a form of self-inspiration to help visualize and manifest their hopes and dreams and set personal goals. If you walk into any bookstore or search online, you can find numerous journals available for purchase. The books range from completely blank pages to guided journals with writing prompts. 17
